HIGH-POWERED AUTOMOBILE STEREOS

We measured the owner-adjusted acoustic outputs of 10 automobile stere o systems, with power ratings ranging between 150 and 600 watts. The s ound levels ranged from 107 to 138 dB SPL and 84 to 108 dBA. Most of t he high-intensity sound was in the 31, 62, and 125 Hz center-frequency octave bands. The mean computed noise dose, based on the vehicle owne rs' reported dally duration of exposure, was 108.5%. While there is cl early a risk of hearing damage in the extreme cases according to OSHA standards, the typical listening durations claimed by the stereo owner s would seem to lower the risk for the majority to acceptable margins for the automobiles measured.